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Oxygen dynamics in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre

Oxygen dynamics in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre
Oxygen dynamics in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre
Dissolved oxygen (DO) in the ocean is a tracer for most ocean biogeochemical processes including net community production and remineralization of organic matter which in turn constrains the biological carbon pump. Knowledge of oxygen dynamics in the North Atlantic Ocean is mainly derived from observations at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site located in the western subtropical gyre which may skew our view of the biogeochemistry of the subtropical North Atlantic. This study presents and compares a 15 yr record of DO observations from ESTOC (European Station for Time-Series in the Ocean, Canary Islands) in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic with the 20 yr record at BATS. Our estimate for net community production of oxygen was 2.3±0.4 mol O2 m?2 yr?1 and of oxygen consumption was ?2.3±0.5 mol O2 m?2 yr?1 at ESTOC, and 4 mol O2 m?2 yr?1 and ?4.4±1 mol m?2 yr?1 at BATS, respectively. These values were determined by analyzing the time-series using the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) method. These flux values agree with similar estimates from in-situ observational studies but are higher than those from modeling studies. The difference in net oxygen production rates supports previous observations of a lower carbon export in the eastern compared to the western subtropical Atlantic. The inter-annual analysis showed clear annual cycles at BATS whereas longer cycles of nearly 4 years were apparent at ESTOC. The DWT analysis showed trends in DO anomalies dominated by long-term perturbations at a basin scale for the consumption zones at both sites, whereas yearly cycles dominated the production zone at BATS. The long-term perturbations found are likely associated with ventilation of the main thermocline, affecting the consumption and production zones at ESTOC.
Oxygen, Production, Remineralization, BATS, ESTOC, North Atlantic
0967-0645
135-147
Cianca, A.
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Santana, R.
269789b8-ef29-46ef-8ee5-82803d06968a
Hartman, S.E.
2f74a439-395a-4ee7-89a2-eff4cc8d9481
Martín-González, J.M.
62467485-8f72-4b4c-a589-51f55c2a8f27
González-Dávila, M.
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Rueda, M.J.
dd43be9f-e6c0-4073-844e-8fcac2ba08c6
Llinás, O.
a31ba11b-2725-4004-ace3-7feca62ced68
Neuer, S.
e2c0c31d-0178-4ec9-ba49-e9351a07937f
Cianca, A.
5a8f6ffa-f70e-4084-8d50-1af2a6f3add7
Santana, R.
269789b8-ef29-46ef-8ee5-82803d06968a
Hartman, S.E.
2f74a439-395a-4ee7-89a2-eff4cc8d9481
Martín-González, J.M.
62467485-8f72-4b4c-a589-51f55c2a8f27
González-Dávila, M.
aadadcbd-8b3e-43e2-9eb8-94bf7685b157
Rueda, M.J.
dd43be9f-e6c0-4073-844e-8fcac2ba08c6
Llinás, O.
a31ba11b-2725-4004-ace3-7feca62ced68
Neuer, S.
e2c0c31d-0178-4ec9-ba49-e9351a07937f

Cianca, A., Santana, R., Hartman, S.E., Martín-González, J.M., González-Dávila, M., Rueda, M.J., Llinás, O. and Neuer, S. (2013) Oxygen dynamics in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 93, 135-147. (doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2013.01.004).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Dissolved oxygen (DO) in the ocean is a tracer for most ocean biogeochemical processes including net community production and remineralization of organic matter which in turn constrains the biological carbon pump. Knowledge of oxygen dynamics in the North Atlantic Ocean is mainly derived from observations at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site located in the western subtropical gyre which may skew our view of the biogeochemistry of the subtropical North Atlantic. This study presents and compares a 15 yr record of DO observations from ESTOC (European Station for Time-Series in the Ocean, Canary Islands) in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic with the 20 yr record at BATS. Our estimate for net community production of oxygen was 2.3±0.4 mol O2 m?2 yr?1 and of oxygen consumption was ?2.3±0.5 mol O2 m?2 yr?1 at ESTOC, and 4 mol O2 m?2 yr?1 and ?4.4±1 mol m?2 yr?1 at BATS, respectively. These values were determined by analyzing the time-series using the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) method. These flux values agree with similar estimates from in-situ observational studies but are higher than those from modeling studies. The difference in net oxygen production rates supports previous observations of a lower carbon export in the eastern compared to the western subtropical Atlantic. The inter-annual analysis showed clear annual cycles at BATS whereas longer cycles of nearly 4 years were apparent at ESTOC. The DWT analysis showed trends in DO anomalies dominated by long-term perturbations at a basin scale for the consumption zones at both sites, whereas yearly cycles dominated the production zone at BATS. The long-term perturbations found are likely associated with ventilation of the main thermocline, affecting the consumption and production zones at ESTOC.

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More information

Published date: September 2013
Keywords: Oxygen, Production, Remineralization, BATS, ESTOC, North Atlantic
Organisations: Marine Biogeochemistry

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 350713
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/350713
ISSN: 0967-0645
PURE UUID: 5fe9de35-181c-4c0d-a133-ab5ad827d1da

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Date deposited: 28 Mar 2013 15:19
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 13:31

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Contributors

Author: A. Cianca
Author: R. Santana
Author: S.E. Hartman
Author: J.M. Martín-González
Author: M. González-Dávila
Author: M.J. Rueda
Author: O. Llinás
Author: S. Neuer

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